“Reading is essential to those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” Jim Rohn
The average American adult reads under two books a year.
Yes, we can consume information by attending lectures (like the old Chautauqua model) or listening to podcasts from intelligent informed individuals like Dr. Andrew Huberman (Huberman Lab) but these are still not as effective in terms of developing focus and deep thinking as traditional long form reading is. Even assuming people listen to audio books, there is tremendous drop in lasting information consumption (as opposed to “news”). Learning from the experience of others, whether they are currently writing or lived three thousand years ago, is one of the pathways to freedom.
Reading builds vocabulary.
Reading provides a different perspective on a situation.
Reading humanizes events.
Reading leads to thinking.
If you read one book a quarter, you would be above average. That is not too much of a sacrifice to ask to improve your life, is it?